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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · race · pop · bass · kick · perch · chair · prune

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bass — the fish
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. pop — soda
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. pop — music
  9. race — humankind
  10. prune — to trim
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fine — all right
  14. perch — the fish
  15. kick — in football
  16. pop — to visit
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bass — low music
  19. chair — a leader
  20. race — a contest
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. chair — to sit on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com